Typically engines, such as internal combustion engines, have an air intake manifold 50 for drawing in air from outside the engine 30 and directing the air into each engine cylinder 32 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The outside air flows in through an air intake duct 56 and into a central air chamber, from which it is then directed into individual runners or channels 54 and into each individual engine cylinder where combustion takes place.
Generally, combustion is facilitated by activating a spark from a spark plug within the cylinder 32 of a gasoline engine or by activation of a glow plug within the cylinder of a diesel engine. Such activation is generally accomplished by supplying either pulsed or continuous electrical signals or power feeds to the spark plug or glow plug. These signals or power feeds in turn typically come from either a central distributor, or from individual ignition coils 34 at each cylinder. In fuel injected engines, it may also be desirable to have an individual electronic fuel injector (EFI) 94 disposed approximate each cylinder and fed by a fuel rail 36; these EFI's also require signals or power feeds, typically from a microprocessor-controlled sub-system 38.
The electrical distribution system required to facilitate these various signals and or power feeds conventionally requires a considerable network of wires 42, cables, harnesses, connectors, fasteners, brackets, standoffs, strain reliefs, and one or more support frames for arranging, routing, and supporting all of these elements. In addition, most engines nowadays also require various other electrical engine sub-systems 44, such as engine control modules, mass air flow sensors, sensor modules, antilock brake control modules, and so forth. Each of these sub-systems also require its associated wires, harnesses, connectors, housings, fasteners, etc. further adding to the electrical distribution and routing system of the engine. All of these various sub-systems are necessary, they may each add to the overall weight, space, complexity and cost of the engine.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide some means of accommodating the various signals and power feed needs of an engine system by reducing the overall weight, space requirements, cost, and complexity of the engine system.